Announcing the re-designing of Bond And Beyond

The more things change, the more they stay the same.

Like the other 15 attempts before, I'm sure we'll see a new background or something and it will be quickly changed back to the norm after a day or two making all this arguing and nonsense about change pointless.

Either act on it or forget about it. This state of limbo is getting quite annoying.

Got some sad news yesterday that I need to think over. Good luck with the relaunch.

Erica Ambler wrote:

Got some sad news yesterday that I need to think over. Good luck with the relaunch.

Looks like Ambler won't be around for a bit :| 

So what happened with the new launch of the forums I read of here?

General Y Y wrote:

So what happened with the new launch of the forums I read of here?

There was no consensus around any particular theme, layout, or name so none of the changes ended up sticking. Back to the drawing board it seems.

Seems the only thing that has changed was the background with a bunch of 007s. Also, that 50th anniversary image is still below. Why? Shouldn't it be an image of LALD instead to celebrate its 40th anniversary? Why is this place still stuck in 2012? Why couldn't this place have just stuck with the new color scheme? Were the complaints too overwhelming?

Eh, I sent my idea (the retro thing, which people seemed to like) in to M a few days ago.

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Eh, I sent my idea (the retro thing, which people seemed to like) in to M a few days ago.

Does that mean that you suggested no change from the current layout of the forum then?

General Y Y wrote:

Louis Armstrong wrote:

Eh, I sent my idea (the retro thing, which people seemed to like) in to M a few days ago.

Does that mean that you suggested no change from the current layout of the forum then?

No, it means that I sent in my retro '60s pop aesthetic idea, which I've elaborated on elsewhere. Basically I sent M a banner and a layout proposal.

I'm not sure why the delay in the "rebranding."

CJB wrote:

General Y Y wrote:

So what happened with the new launch of the forums I read of here?

There was no consensus around any particular theme, layout, or name so none of the changes ended up sticking. Back to the drawing board it seems.

There WILL never be a consensus. So if they are waiting for that to happen this will never work. We've seen a few backgrounds come and go, but only stay for a day or two. No, that orange background wasn't great but it was only up for two days before being taken down.

Someone in leadership needs to just lay down the law and make the change. There has been enough talk, now is the time for action. Someone needs to make a change and say "This is it. This is the background. We'll talk about it in 6 months and see what you think then. Until then, this is the background, deal with it."

Until then it will just remind me of this guy:



"And then I told them... we're going to change the background!
"Really!?! Did you change it?"
"Of course not! I just talked about it changing it for 4 years and did nothing! It was hilarious!

We need an enlightened philosopher-king to benevolently get things done. Otherwise, we should end the navel gazing and opinion polling and live with the status quo.

Moore wrote:

Someone in leadership needs to just lay down the law and make the change. There has been enough talk, now is the time for action. Someone needs to make a change and say "This is it. This is the background. We'll talk about it in 6 months and see what you think then. Until then, this is the background, deal with it."

Yep.

Moore wrote:

Someone in leadership needs to just lay down the law and make the change. There has been enough talk, now is the time for action. Someone needs to make a change and say "This is it. This is the background. We'll talk about it in 6 months and see what you think then. Until then, this is the background, deal with it."

That someone would be M. This board is run by one person, it's not some mystery who's in charge.

Time to make the final decision and deliver then.

Now THAT'S more like it! Please, let's stick with this one. I don't ever want to see the last layout ever again.

This latest banner and colour scheme is pretty great. Has my approval anyhow.

Yum, I like it.

Eh. At least it's over with.

Python wrote:

Now THAT'S more like it! Please, let's stick with this one. I don't ever want to see the last layout ever again.

Agreed.

Just wanted to pop in and say I love the new design.

Hopefully you'll stick around and post a bit more then, S&Q. Would love it if you could. Things will be moving forward around here from now on, and hopefully every member here can be part of that.

Yes! I've been waiting for this! I'm so glad we are moving forward, excellent!

Great work!

I'm so glad everyone's enjoying the changes. You can count me in that crowd, too. :)

But I'd like to navel-gaze a bit more. I know what Nietzsche said - when you gaze too long into the navel, the navel also gazes into you. However, I'll ask that you indulge me. I wrote this post a week ago, and here it is now.

I want to address the idea of B&B competing with other boards, as well as the "bitterness" that A Watcher brought up.

A Watcher wrote:

My suggestion is that you look at the positive reasons why you like Bond, then assess whether you truly add anything to the existing sites, other than trying to convince yourselves you do. They seem comprehensive to me, but I might be wrong - but if there are few distinctive positive Bond reasons to keep this noticed, then perhaps it is time to be positive wider, with Bond a part.

It is true that the needs of the online Bond community seem filled by other forums. So what do we offer? That's an important question to ask.

We are not as active as other communities. There's no reason for a new Bond fan to join here, when there are far more active communities. As other communities grow, that cycle continues, and we gain no members, and we stay relatively inactive… So on and so forth.

However - neverminding content - the tone of our community is far different. That's what we offer. We have an older age base than MI6, and we are more conversational than CBn. Perhaps it's hard to sell a community based on its tone - but the new layout should help in that regard. The new layout will also help sell our broader content, the "Beyond" side. Maybe then Bond fans will be attracted by what makes us different.

M wrote:

Our rebranding will bring everything our members excel at discussing right to the front and centre of the forums here and will free us from any kind of perceived "competition" we were (wrongly, because of our limited financial resources and limited visibility) deemed to have had with the likes of MI6 or CBn. The forums will remain a great place to discuss Bond, but will become an equally great place to discuss everything else as an equal concern.

I've believed for a long time that the idea we're "competing" with other Bond boards is a fallacy. Sure, on a base level, we're "competing" - if a Bond fan chooses another board over B&B, I guess that means we've lost a potential member. (Although one can hold memberships at several Bond boards, as many do.)

However, we occupy a different niche. We're not really in competition, because we offer something different (a unique tone and broader content) for the Bond community. We should have our own audience. A Watcher is right when he says that our audience currently seems to be people who are dissatisfied with other communities. This means they're attracted to B&B because of what we're not, instead of what we are.

We all know this community has strengths beyond "not MI6" or "not CBn." But so long as we're hostile towards those communities (deserved or not, what does it matter), then we encourage expressions of bitterness. Which is poisonous, I think. Now, perhaps it's hyperbole to say we are hostile towards other communities. But so many statements of our strengths seem framed as "MI6 does this, we don't" or "MI6 doesn't do this, we do." Who cares? Who cares, two years on?

We're all aware of the faults of the other communities. That's why we came here originally. Now, we must embrace and express our greater reasons for staying here. This is important, going forward. You can't sell something simply by saying "choice C is better because it's not choice A or B."

If I may be so bold, I'd like to propose a moratorium on discussing other Bond forums disparagingly. At least for the staff, who set the tone for the board. Not to muzzle anyone, but to squash any bitterness or perceived bitterness. Stuff like this, which surfaces frequently and seems innocuous, but is quietly bitter (no offense meant, Lazenby):

Lazenby. wrote:

two of our most outspoken members, have just chosen to have their opinions neutered/silenced and walk the warning tightrope at MI6 Community

We all know what's wrong with the other places... Let's leave the negativity behind. Let's see if we can define ourselves by what we are, instead of what we aren't.

That's my two cents on B&B going forward.

Not a bad idea, LA ... if the other forums want to disparage us, well that's their lookout. But we can 'be the bigger men' (if you will) by knocking that sort of thing on the head here :) .